Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon has condemned the appalling violence which took place in Citywest last night.
Deputy Gannon said:
“The alleged sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl, who was supposed to be in the care of the State, is shocking on so many levels – my thoughts are with her and her family.
“The alleged perpetrator is now in jail and was not in Citywest last night, but innocent men, women and children were, all of whom were the target of the hateful mob outside.
“I want to commend Gardaí for containing the violence and bringing the disorder under control, and I wish the Garda who was injured during attempts to control the situation a speedy recovery.
“However, I do question whether the Public Order Unit could have been deployed earlier given there were Gardaí in soft caps on the scene while bricks were being thrown.
“Far-right aggravators weaponise social media to whip up fear, create division and terrify vulnerable people – there is an onus on all sides of the political spectrum to tackle this disinformation.
“We must use language carefully, and we have a responsibility to continually point out that there is no link between migration and increased rates of crime.
“The government must show leadership and counter the false narrative that asylum seekers pose a danger to communities.
“In 2022, the previous government promised to create a community strategy to dispel myths about migrants and the asylum system. That strategy never materialised.
“The government must create a dedicated plan to counter racist narratives about migrants and asylum seekers, which should include the regulation of the social media companies which platform this mis- and disinformation.
“Just as urgently, measures must be put in place to keep the men, women and children living in Citywest safe.”
October 22nd, 2025